Career Pathways with Sana Saleem – Subject Librarian (Pacific)
In this column we interview LIS professionals – finding out how they got to where they are and any advice they have for students or new professionals. Our latest interview subject is Sana Saleem, Subject Librarian at Unitec.
Kia ora and Bula Sana, thanks for sharing your career pathway with our readers. First up; can you tell us about your current role? What is your job title and what do you do day-to-day? Can you also tell us what qualifications you have?
I am the Subject Librarian (Pacific) at Unitec Institute of Technology – Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka. Within my role, I am also responsible for these subject areas as a Subject Librarian for Languages (Bridgepoint), Performing and Screen Arts (Creative Industries) and Interloans librarian.
The students are at the heart of what we do at Unitec. My day-to-day tasks include looking after the Pacific collection; facilitating student success through embedding information literacy skills to enhance and meet the information and research needs of staff and students; collaboration with Māori and Pacific staff working to engage principles of Te Noho Kotahitanga in mahi towards our Māori and Pacific success strategies; academic liaison to provide one-to-one research appointment and drop-in sessions every week; active curation of library resources; and providing interloans services to Unitec staff and students. Also, I love interacting with staff and students on campus and online – answering library chats and on Unitec Library social media channels.
I completed both undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Anthropology and Social Science at The University of Auckland. Then in 2017, I graduated with a Master of Information Studies (MIS) from Victoria University of Wellington – Te Herenga Waka.
The students are at the heart of what we do at Unitec. My day-to-day tasks include looking after the Pacific collection; facilitating student success through embedding information literacy skills to enhance and meet the information and research needs of staff and students; collaboration with Māori and Pacific staff working to engage principles of Te Noho Kotahitanga in mahi towards our Māori and Pacific success strategies; academic liaison to provide one-to-one research appointment and drop-in sessions every week; active curation of library resources; and providing interloans services to Unitec staff and students. Also, I love interacting with staff and students on campus and online – answering library chats and on Unitec Library social media channels.
I completed both undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Anthropology and Social Science at The University of Auckland. Then in 2017, I graduated with a Master of Information Studies (MIS) from Victoria University of Wellington – Te Herenga Waka.
Is this the career you always intended to go into?
Yes, because my first job was at The University of Auckland Library (part time for five years) while undertaking full time study. This introduced me to the world of libraries where my passion for a library career grew potentially into a final decision to become an academic librarian.
What was your idea of what librarians are and what they do before you became one?
That librarians only read books! I have always been surrounded by books and was influenced by Fijian indigenous knowledge in my childhood days, while growing up in Fiji. In my experience working at two institutional libraries, I have found it rewarding identifying the different levels of information needs to suit library users from diverse backgrounds – especially for our Māori and Pacific students. Libraries play an important part in an educational institution, therefore information literacy is a key focus within my role. Teaching students how to locate, manage and use information – these are highly transferable skills to help them succeed in the workplace and beyond.
If you were meeting someone who had just finished their undergraduate degree and was contemplating doing a postgraduate LIS qualification what would you say to them? What sort of personal attributes do you think you need to go into LIS work?
I would highly recommend them to continue with a postgraduate qualification in Information Studies from Victoria University of Wellington. I did my Master of Information Studies (MIS) through distance study (part time for three years) while living in Auckland. They offer flexible study options that are suitable for any learner wanting to pursue a library career to specialise in library science, archives and records management.
In 2014, I joined Unitec Library where I was given more opportunities to enhance my library career and to explore the different functions of information services. I have worked at all three branches of Unitec Library, which has advanced my skills and knowledge as a specialist librarian in the sector. This enabled me to think proactively about my career progression in academic libraries and eventually becoming a professional and registered librarian (RLIANZA).
In 2014, I joined Unitec Library where I was given more opportunities to enhance my library career and to explore the different functions of information services. I have worked at all three branches of Unitec Library, which has advanced my skills and knowledge as a specialist librarian in the sector. This enabled me to think proactively about my career progression in academic libraries and eventually becoming a professional and registered librarian (RLIANZA).
Have you got any librarian mentors / people who influenced you or you admire / learned from? What did they teach you?
I would like to acknowledge my library colleagues in the LIANZA 2019 conference committee from Pasifika Information Management Network (PIMN). Personally, I have gained both professional and personal learning and development that can be applied to my Pacific role to manaaki to the needs and aspirations of our Māori and Pacific students, whānau and communities. The conference was a perfect networking opportunity with colleagues who provide information services to Māori and Pacific learners. Overall, our Pacific conference was successful with 2 years in the making of active commitment and participation that everyone was very passionate about as librarians. Vinaka my PIMN whānau for all the love, respect, warmth, humour and talanoa to experience a shared journey together with the theme ‘Our Families, Our Communities, Our Libraries - Nāu te rourou nāku te rourou’.
Vinaka Vinaka vaka levu! Thanks so much Sana for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us.